Secrets Undone Book III
by QueenH
Summary: Third installment in this series. Jack is trying to keep his promise. Severus has been ordered to bring Jack to the Dark Lord. The SGC is targeted. All this and much more...read on. Chapter 13 now added.
1. Introduction

_A/N: This is the beginning of the third and possible final installment of this epic journey. I am going to try and keep the action going on this one as best I can. I already have the first 3 chapter finished and will be posting them over the next week or so. This story has really been a blast for me and to any and all who've stuck it out and continued reading this, thanks so much and I truly hope you enjoy this next bit. I guarantee you'll have questions as the story progresses and I swear they will all be answered by the time the story ends...anyway, enough of my rambling. Onto your regularly scheduled programing..._

* * *

His face haunts my dreams at night and yet I cannot say for certain who he is. My visions have rarely ever been this strong. It nearly drove me mad the last time the visions were this intense. I may be older now, but I'm not sure I can handle it any better this time than I did before. If only I knew who this mysterious stranger was. I feel drawn to him; as though he holds the key to some impenetrable lock that I've been struggling to open.

For weeks I've searched, making little progress. This quest seems almost impossible. I want to keep my promise, but I'm afraid that I'll fail. I'm afraid I'll let everyone down, especially Harry. There's already so many ways that I've failed him thus far, and I can't make it any worse. I have to find a way to make things right. I have to complete my task. If only I understood what it was they wanted me to do. Instead, I'm left with nightmares and visions of what the future could hold and all I want to do is scream.

Who am I that I've been asked to this? Why have I been given this 'gift' of foresight? Am I really capable of doing what must be done? I keep asking myself these questions and more, and I've yet to come up with answers to any of them. My visions make little to no sense most times, and it's quite possible I'm close to losing my mind. I've walked away from everything I know to keep a promise and I'm not even sure I can.

The only things I know for certain at this point are these…my name is Jack Corrigan…I am a Wizard and a Seer, and I have been sent to find the one person who can save my world and everything I hold dear from being destroyed. I have lied, cheated and stolen to get myself this far. I will not give up, but I fear that if I don't find the stranger from my dreams soon it will be too late and all that I have foreseen will come to pass.

Where are you? Who are you? Reveal yourself to me. I cannot allow the atrocities in my visions to occur. I must succeed. There's no other choice. My world…my life depends on it.

tbc...


	2. Chapter 1

_A/N: I decided to add another fandom to this lovely crossover. For those who are not familiar with the Highlander universe I will try to keep everything making sense. Any questions, just let me know. Hope ya'll enjoy. Onto the story..._

* * *

Chapter 1 

Sweat poured down his face as he raced through the forest in the dead of night. It felt as though he hadn't stopped running since he'd left Hogwart's a few weeks earlier. There was so much to prepare and very little time for him to get it all done. The days had begun to speed past in a blur to him as he struggled to complete his task. With his wand firmly grasped in his left hand, Jack stopped to catch his breath then slowly looked around making certain no one was nearby. Feeling content he was alone the wizard closed his eyes and focused on where he wanted to go and apparated with a loud pop.

He found himself in the grass in front of a smallish looking house in what could only be described as the quintessential suburban neighborhood. With a sigh of relief he allowed himself to sink to the ground, at ease with the feel of cool Colorado grass underneath his fingertips.

"Jack!"

It was a familiar calling out to him and he turned his head just slightly, enough to see the petite frame of Janet Frasier marching towards him, her medical kit in hand, before he closed his eyes and allowed consciousness to leave him.

When he awoke again he recognized the blue wallpaper almost instantly. The seashell theme adorning the room almost made him cringe as he recalled being the one that had assisted Janet in decorating said room almost two years before when she had moved to Colorado Springs.

He blinked a few times before slowly moving to a sitting position, feeling noticeably dizzy when he did so.

"It's about time you came around. Just how far did you apparate from? I was ready to call in the General and bring you to the base, but I'd hate to see you end up court-martialed." Janet smirked as she stepped inside the doorway.

"I was just outside of London and what are you talking about…Daniel and the others didn't mention I was going to be court-martialed?"

The doctor shook her head. "You've been AWOL for months…what was Hammond supposed to do? He could only cut you so much slack."

Feeling the dizziness begin to dissipate Jack shrugged his shoulders. "I can't believe this has all turned to shit like this."

Janet took a few steps toward her patient and began to check him over. "What's going on, Jack? What have you been up to?"

"I had to take care of some family problems."

She nodded. "How is Severus?"

With a smirk of his own Jack sighed. "Same as always. It's Harry I'm worried about…Where's Cassie by the way?"

"She's staying with a friend for the night. Don't try to change the subject." Seeing he was caught he lowered his head. "You finally met him?"

Jack nodded. "He reminds me so much of Lily…"

She could sense the pain and guilt in his voice at the mention of his sister and she gently took his hand in hers. "Stop blaming yourself, Jack."

"How can I, Jan? If I had gotten to her sooner…if I had just…she might still be alive."

Janet shook her head. "You can't know that."

Jack pulled away from her. "Maybe not, but it's how I feel."

"You always put so much pressure on yourself."

"And you always act like my mother." Jack snapped drawing his knees to his chest.

Janet laughed softly. "That certainly makes sense being that I helped raise your mother."

With a grimace he rolled his eyes. "Leave it be 'oh aged one'. I know you mean well, but you can't fix this one or change how I feel. It's just not that simple."

"Damned men and their guilt."

"Foolish immortals and their need to meddle in others affairs." Jack quipped letting his legs fall into and Indian-Style position on the bed.

She raised an eyebrow in disapproval at Jack's statement then shook her head. "Very well, I'll let it go, but I'd still like to help with whatever is going on if I can."

Jack pondered her offer for a moment then nodded. "Actually, there is something I need you to do…"

An hour later she had agreed to his plan, albeit somewhat reluctantly and then she had set about to make certain he would be healthy enough to leave in two days as he planned.

"Let me make a phone call. I have a friend you'll be safe with." She made the comment, but did not wait for him to respond. Her petite frame was already out the door before he could utter the protest she knew was on his lips.

It took a moment for her to find the number she wanted. Once she had she quickly dialed it and waited. The familiar voice answered, telling her to leave a message after the beep.

"This is Jeanette. I'm calling to collect on your debt. You know how to reach me."

She hung up the phone and stalked back into bedroom where Jack was waiting for her. He eyed her with a mix of confusion and curiosity on his face.

"Who is this friend?"

"Just someone I trust implicitly." The words stunned him, as he'd never known her to trust anyone save himself and those in his family that much.

"And this friend is going to be alright with me hanging around for a short while?"

She curtly shook her head. "There shouldn't be a problem."

Jack sat upright in the bed, his concern quite noticeable. "Shouldn't be?"

"Don't worry about it, Jack. You said you needed a safe place to regroup for a week or so, and that's exactly what you'll get."

"Alright. I trust you."

"As well you should." She began to move about the room straightening things up and tossing things into a small basket she pulled from beside the closet.

"I appreciate this, Jan. I really do."

She turned and looked at him and smiling softly. "You aren't the only one who made a promise, Jack."

He sighed heavily as he stood and took the basket from her. "You've more than kept it."

//\//\

Methos glanced at the clock near his bed. He'd only been home an hour but it was not to be a night of sleep for the oldest known immortal. When he'd gotten home he'd checked his answering service and voicemail for his two private phones. It was almost 3am, and he'd already listened to her message several times.

There were only a select few people he could truly say he owed a debt to, but Jeannette was one of those few. He cursed softly under his breath wondering what the woman would ask of him, though he knew there was no way he would deny her, even if it meant losing his own life.

Biting back the nerves that were threatening to overtake him, Methos reached for the phone and dialed. He heard her voicemail pick up and quickly left his message.

"A debt owed is a debt paid, my sweet. I'll be at our spot tomorrow evening." With that he hung up and left the phone the night table. He turned on his side and curled his knees up to his chest, his mind racing with thoughts of the woman who'd single-handedly turned his world upside down.

//\//\

Severus lay in his chambers at Hogwart's listening to the silence filling the air around him. His mind was consumed with the task he'd been given by the Dark Lord. He'd been a spy for many a year, but it never any easier for him. It was as though with every assignment he was given a small part of his soul was chipped away, until he was finally left so raw and exposed that even breathing was a nearly impossible and veritably painful task.

He knew that there was no way he could kill Daniel and the others, nor could he bring Jack back to face Lord Voldemort. Dumbledore had done little to ease his frustration when he'd explained the situation to him a few weeks before. If fact, the only wizard had merely told him not to worry, and that a solution would present itself at the right time.

There were times were Severus truly hated Dumbledore, and this was one of those times. The man was far too cryptic for his liking and it drove him insane. Before he could continue his ruminations, he was stopped by the sound of soft pecking at his window. He looked up to see a small brown owl with an envelope clutched in its beak.

With ease he got to his feet and moved towards the window, smiling softly at the creature as he pulled the envelope from her.

"Thank you." The bird hooted in reply and flew off hastily.

He opened the note and groaned rather loudly when he recognized the familiar scrawl as being from his brother.

_Sev,_

_I hope this finds you well. I know we haven't spoken since I left the school a few weeks ago. Things have been a little crazy. Voldemort appears to have quite a few of his supporters looking for me. They nearly caught me a few days ago. Just so you know… I'm alright. This is the first letter I've been able to send though. I have no doubt he's ordered you to search for me, and possibly to go after my team if you can't find me. I truly wish you weren't in this position; then again there are a lot of things I wish for. _

_The main reason I'm writing is because we need to meet. In order for that to happen, I need you to come to Colorado. Talk to Daniel and tell him you need to speak to General Hammond. I have a plan, so trust me on this one. He can get you into the base. He may balk a bit, but he'll do it. I'll explain everything once you get there. Meet me in two days. I'm counting on you. _

_J_

With a sigh Severus folded up the paper and sat back down on his bed. He knew he'd get no sleep tonight, but then again he hadn't slept much in the last few weeks anyway, so one more night wouldn't make much difference.

tbc...


	3. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

Harry was angry, more so than he could ever recall being. His scar had continued to burn on his forehead since the incident on the quidditch pitch when Cedric was killed. The feeling of uneasiness had also gotten worse as the realization sunk in that the young wizard's worst nightmare had come true, and the part he hated most was that he felt truly alone. He'd received no letters from Ron or Hermione telling him what was going on, and the information he got from the Daily Prophet was proving to be absolute rubbish.

He desperately wanted to hear news on his Uncle Jack and godfather Sirius, but it seemed as though everyone he knew in the wizarding world was content to leave him in the dark. To make matters worse his dreams had taken a bizarre turn of late. He couldn't quite explain the scenes that were playing out each night in his slumber. It all seemed to center around a doorway, which Harry could not open and had no clue as to what he would find inside. Each night he had woken up frustrated and unable to return to sleep.

His gut feeling was the he would be leaving the Dursley's before the Summer was over but his mind was telling him not to be foolish and pin his hopes on something he was uncertain about.

* * *

Jack woke up screaming, the images from his nightmare still swimming freely through his mind. Wiping the sweat from his brow he closed his eyes, trying desperately to calm himself. Slowly he felt his pulse begin to slow back to normal and his breaths evened out, but he could still hear voices from his dream calling out to him once he opened his eyes again. 

"_Soon Corrigan…I will find you…I will kill the boy, destroy all that you care for and you cannot stop me."_ The raspy voice was one he knew only too well, and he cringed just slightly as he tried to shake off the images in his mind.

Realizing he would not be going back to sleep, he reached for a piece of parchment and a quill and began scribbling down a note.

_Harry,_

_Sorry I haven't written. Things have been a bit crazy. I had you on my mind tonight, so I thought I would see how you were doing…So how is everything? How's Petie? Just for a laugh you ought to call your aunt that one day and see what she says. I'm sure she'd turn a lovely shade of red. I was the only one that ever dared to call her that when we were kids, and she pretty much hated it. Then again, it might not be the best idea to call her that nickname…I recall getting an iron thrown at my head once for it, so just to be safe you might not want to be like your uncle here. I've been known to be a little dense at times. _

_Anyway, things are good here. I'd tell you where exactly here is, but I'll be gone in the morning and it wouldn't matter. Too much to do, and the time just seems to fly by. I only hope that it will be enough. I know I haven't been a part of your life until recently, and even now I'm hardly what you'd call a good uncle, but I hope that you at least consider me a friend. Maybe my staying out of your life doesn't give me that right, but I want you to know that was done to protect you. I truly thought that by keeping away I was making you safer. In retrospect, I'm not too certain that was the best decision I could have made. I never would have left you had I known my sister was and her fat cow of a husband was going to treat you the way he did. You'll never know how truly sorry I am for that. _

_Anyway, you're probably wondering why I'm sending this by owl instead of telling you in person, and the truth is, I'm not entirely sure when I'll be able to make it back to see you. Hopefully it will be soon, but there's no guarantee on that, so I wanted to write all this down for you to read. I'm sure you don't want to be bothered with all of this during your summer, but if you could see it in you to give your uncle a break…if you haven't noticed, I sometimes ramble when I write, especially when I'm not sure how to say what I really want to say._

_Suffice to say, I'm sorry for not being in your life, Harry. There's so much more I want to say, but that's really what it boils down to. I'm truly sorry for leaving you alone. I hope that one day you can forgive me. Well, enough of the melodramatics. The sun will be rising soon, so I'll close this letter now. I wish you well. If you have a moment write me back, and I'll send you a note as soon as I can. Take care._

_Jack_

He set the quill down and looked back over the parchment, surprised he'd written so much. His heart ached thinking of what his young nephew had been through over the years, and what he was forced to go through now, and a deep anger burned inside him. Sighing heavily he shook that anger aside, folded up the letter then went to the window where an owl sat quietly preening his feathers, facing the glass.

The bird turned her head, hooted in what Jack was certain was an indignant tone, and snatched up the letter in her beak. Once the window was opened she took flight and Jack watched in silence as she flew off into the warm summer air. In a few hours his plan would be in effect and he hoped that Severus would be able to do as he had asked.

* * *

Daniel groaned loudly as he opened his eyes, the sunlight pouring into the room making it far brighter than the archeologist cared for it to be at this early hour of the morning. Grumbling to himself he sat up, bleary-eyed then reached for his glasses beside him on the nearby nightstand. Once he'd found them he slipped them on and waited a moment as the world came back into focus. He was slow to get up, but made his way out of the bedroom and down the hall to the kitchen where his automatic coffee pot had already begun to brew. The aroma of Turkish roast wafted through the air, putting slight smile on Daniel's face as he made his way towards the cabinet to fetch himself a cup. 

"Jack was right. You really aren't much for company until you have a cup of coffee are you?" The voice of Severus Snape pierced the air, and sent Daniel lurching back as his cup went flying towards the table.

"Damn it, Severus! Can you warn me before you just barge into my home like this?"

"Sorry. You were asleep. I chose not to wake you."

Daniel growled in frustration. "I'm sure there's a purpose to this visit?"

"Actually I require a favor."

The archeologist raised an eyebrow in a manner even Teal'c would have been proud of as he responded, the irritation clear in his voice. "You require a favor?"

"Jack contacted me last night and he's asked me to go the SGC and talk to your General Hammond."

"He what?! How are you supposed to do that?"

Snape smirked. "Jack seemed to think you'd be the one that could make that happen."

"He did, did he?" Daniel shook his head in disgust. "He may be my friend, but I'm beginning to hate that man."

* * *

She may not have agreed with his plan, but Janet trusted that Jack knew what he was doing. Her only hope at this point was that she could keep him safe while he tried to find whatever it was he was looking for. In all the years she'd known him she'd never questioned his tactical abilities, but this time she wondered for the first time if he was being too careless. 

Shaking these thoughts away she slowly pushed herself forward, moving stealthily into the general's office. Looking around she made certain no one could see her, reached into her pocket and placed a medium-size cloth bag on the floor beside Hammond's desk. A moment later she scurried out of the office and back to her infirmary.

An hour later she had left the mountain and was on her way out of Colorado Springs. Her stomach was in knots the closer she got to her destination. When she finally arrived four more hours had passed. She pulled over in the small town of Sapello, New Mexico. It was a quaint little place with a population of barely a hundred people, but it was a town that she knew quite well.

The town itself was practically hidden in the Sangre Cristo Mountains, but Janet could find it with her eyes closed if she needed to. When she pulled the car over she was parked in front of a pleasant looking hotel called the Star Hill Inn. With a smile she exited her vehicle, grabbed her bag from the backseat and started inside. As she approached the entrance the familiar scent of wildflowers caught her attention and she paused for a moment.

"You made it." The strong masculine voice brought her back from her thoughts and she looked up to see the hotel manager smiling at her, his hands on his hips.

"Longer drive than I remember. How have you been, Bear?"

He shook his head sardonically. "Must you call me that?"

"Actually, I must." With a laugh he moved forward and pulled the smaller woman into an embrace.

"It's good to see you well. You should drive down here more often. If it weren't for you I wouldn't even have this place."

He let her go and they stepped inside the office. "I have missed the peacefulness of being out here. Unfortunately, getting away from my life isn't as easy as I'd like it to be."

"Well, you're always welcome. All my suites are booked right now, but if you don't mind the walk, the cabin is all yours."

She sighed and nodded her head. "Not at all. I can watch the sunset along the way."

A few minutes later with the key in hand she was marching through the wooded trail towards the cabin her bag hefted on her shoulder. It took nearly half an hour to reach it, and the sun was just coming to rest at the top of the mountain peaks when she stepped onto the wraparound deck.

She watched in silence until it had faded behind the mountain and the night stars began to shine above her head, before she turned and went inside the cabin. Not to her surprise Bear had stocked the kitchen for her a few essentials for her stay and she was quick to start a pot of strong coffee brewing before going back to the deck to have a seat.

The coffee pot sounded to let her know it was ready and the same moment she felt buzz of another immortal's presence. Reflexively, she reached for the blade on the inside of her jacket. She scanned the area with caution waiting for her visitor to show himself. Coming up the path she saw the familiar lanky figure walking towards her, hands in the air.

"And here I was hoping you'd forget." Methos quipped as he approached the deck.

"Not hardly." She smirked as she moved down the steps to greet him. "You look good."

"A moonlit sky can make anyone look good." Methos pulled her in for a hug, then released her. "You on the other hand look absolutely splendid."

The two continued their banter for a few more minutes as she led him into the cabin and allowed him to put his bag in the bedroom. Once the pleasantries had been exchanged the two immortals found their seats at the kitchen table, each fumbling with a coffee cup as the waited for the other speak.

"I need you to do something for me." Janet finally broke the silence.

Methos nodded. "I gathered as much. Perhaps you'd like to tell me what it is you wish of me?"

"You recall the family I told you about years ago?"

"The Corrigans? The ones you've been watching for last few centuries?"

It was Janet's turn to nod. "Yes. One of them is in trouble and I need someone to hide him for a short while."

Methos raised an eyebrow in curiosity. "Hide? What sort of trouble?"

"You know better than to ask that, Methos."

"Why me?"

"Because I can't protect him…and you're the only one I trust enough to do what I can't."

With a sigh he brought his hand to his cheek. "You'd cancel my debt for this?"

"Jack is like a son to me. His family has been my family for the past five hundred years. He's too important."

He seemed to ponder what she was saying to him for quite some time before he responded. "Very well. Where is this Jack?"

She smiled in relief. "We'll leave for Colorado Springs in the morning."

tbc...

_I appreciate the feedback thus far. I know there are some skeptics out there, that aren't certain how adding the Highlander universe to this crossover will work out, but I promise if you give it a shot I'll do my best not to dissappoint you. I've a got some good plot twists and such planned for this, so keep on reading. Anyway, thanks again to everyone who is still reading and providing feedback, that always makes me happy. I shall post the next chapter soon._

_Oh btw...Star Hill Inn is actually a real place in Sapello, New Mexico. If you wanna check out some information on it the website is www. starhillinn .com_


	4. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

General Hammond strolled into his office late that afternoon. A million thoughts were running through his mind, and so pre-occupied was he that he barely noticed the bag resting just beside his desk. Once he registered it was there his senses went into overdrive. There was a note attached to the front of the bag and he carefully picked it up.

_General,_

_Sorry for the cloak and dagger routine here, but this is very important. I had this package snuck into your office for a reason and hopefully by the end of the day you'll understand why. Daniel is going to ask a favor of you sometime today and I need you to grant it. I promise I will explain everything soon. Oh and don't touch the package until Daniel arrives._

_Respectfully,_

_Jack O'Neill_

The general sighed heavily as he eyed the bag beside his desk. Only his 2IC could bring him to the point he actually wished he could grow hair, simply so he could tear it out again. As if on cue, there was a knock on the door and he called out for whomever it was to enter the room. He was none too surprised to see Daniel walk in, a sheepish expression on his face.

"What can I do for you, Dr. Jackson?"

Daniel let out a deep breath then slowly moved towards the general's desk. "Would it be possible for you to see someone right now, Sir?"

Hammond raised an eyebrow in curiosity. "And who might I be seeing?"

"Jack's brother."

Shaking his head Hammond let out a groan of frustration. "Somehow I get the feeling this is going to be very interesting…Where is he?"

"In my office."

Hammond got to his feet, anger clearly written on his face. "Why is he in a secure section of this facility?"

"It's complicated, Sir. Just trust me when I say that no one knows he's here but myself, Teal'c and Sam."

"Why does that not surprise me?" With a heavy sigh Hammond relented and sat back down. "Bring him here and I'll listen to what he has to say."

With that Daniel bustled out of the office and returned a few minutes later, and to Hammond's surprise still appeared to be alone.

"I thought you were bringing Jack's brother?"

Daniel nodded. "I did, Sir."

The general looked around in confusion. "Excuse me."

"He said he did, General Hammond." Severus Snape's voice caught the air force officer by surprise as well as the fact that the taller man seemed to appear out of thin air, as he removed himself from the invisibility cloak he had been wearing when he entered the office.

"Where did you come from?"

Daniel shrugged his shoulders as he responded. "Sorry about that…we didn't want anyone to see him when we walked down the hall, so he used an invisibility cloak."

Hammond was quite for a moment, allowing that thought sink in before he spoke up again. He had heard from Daniel and the others about Jack being a wizard, but being that he had never seen any of the magic himself he was hard-pressed to really believe in it until now.

"What was it you wanted to see me about?"

Snape sighed as he shook his head. "Honestly, I have no idea. All I know is that Jack wanted us to meet-"

He was cut off by a loud hissing noise coming from the bag beside the general's desk. Hammond was quick to reach for the gun he kept in his drawer, aiming it carefully at the bag.

Severus got to his feet, taking hold of the bag, rolling his eyes as he opened it. "You bloody idiot!"

Hammond was still confused as he listened to Snape shout at the snake he had pulled from the bag. Daniel had recognized the snake almost instantly and began to shake his head as he told the general not to worry.

A moment later Snape let the snake drop to the floor, scowling at it as he did so. In a flash the snake changed into the weary form of Jack O'Neill.

"What the hell?!" Hammond trained his weapon on Jack, still uncertain as to what was going on.

"Please put the gun down, Sir. I promised in the note I would explain everything to you and I will…just please lower the weapon." Jack had raised his hands in surrender as he took a step closer to General Hammond.

"Someone tell me what is going on…Right now."

"Well, it's kinda complicated, but here goes…" Jack began his tale and nearly two hours passed before he had finished.

"That's a heck of story, son. What is it you want me to do exactly?" Hammond asked once Jack had stopped speaking.

"For starters, don't court-martial me."

Hammond chuckled softly to himself. "Only you could be so damned irritating, Jack."

Jack blushed slightly. "I do try…the main reason I showed up here is because I wanted to clear things up with you, and explain the gravity of the situation. This job means a lot to me, but so does my family. Both of those are now at risk, and don't want to see any harm come to either. I had no choice in what I did before. In retrospect, I probably should have given you some warning before I just up and took off, but I can't change that now."

"I get how important family is, Jack. Unfortunately, my hands are tied. If you come back here I'll have no choice."

Jack pursed his lips. "If?...but I am…"

"As far as I'm concerned this conversation didn't happen. No one would believe me if I tried to explain it anyway."

"Jack, what about Harry?" Severus asked from his seat across from his brother.

"Something bad is going to happen…I've seen it, Sev. You have to go the Dursley's and make sure he's alright. Voldemort will go after him the first chance he gets."

Severus nodded. "Of that I have no doubt…though I risk my own cover if I do anything to visibly help him."

"Trust me on this one. What needs to be done can be done with or without you spying for Dumbledore and the Order."

With a heavy sigh Snape sat back in his seat. "I'll do what you ask, but this is madness."

"So are most of the things I've asked of you, but they end up working out." Jack smirked then turned his attention towards Daniel. "How have things been coming along here?"

Another hour passed as they discussed possible strategies to protect the base against an invasion from Voldemort and his followers. Hammond listened with a slight sense of disbelief at all he was hearing. Little of it made sense to him, though he tried desperately to grasp and understand it all. Finally, he resigned himself to simply trusting Jack and his instincts and agreed to the plan his 2IC had come up with.

When they were done Jack thanked Hammond for all his help, hugged his brother, then transfigured back into his snake form and slithered into Severus' pocket just as the other wizard pulled on the invisibility cloak. Snape was led out of the base by Daniel and he left Jack at a children's park where he had asked them to leave him, and the trio parted company. Severus went on his way to check on Harry Potter, Daniel went back to continue securing the base, and Jack found a safe place and transfigured back and made his way to Janet's where he would wait for her to return.

* * *

Harry was minding his own business, sulking over the fact that he'd heard next to nothing from any of his friends. The only letter he'd received all summer was from his Uncle and he wasn't quite certain how to respond to the things the older wizard had told him. He'd sensed the sincerity in the letter, but deep down he still felt a great deal of frustration and bitterness at the fact that his only other family had virtually abandoned him all those years ago.

Not for the first time he wondered why things had turned out as they had, what if anything could ever set it all right. Dejected he swung back and forth on the swing set in the playground thinking about what he was going to tell his uncle when he saw him next. He was torn from the thoughts when the hulking form of his cousin Dudley and the gang of thugs he'd been hanging around began to stroll in his direction.

Reflexively, Harry's fingers gripped his wand though he knew he was not allowed to use magic. As the group got closer they began to taunt him, and he did his best to ignore them, rolling his eyes as he listened to their foolish insults. When the jabs turned nasty and Dudley brought up Harry's nightmares about Cedric's death, the young wizard had had enough. He quickly got to his feet, aiming his wand at the taller boy's jaw.

"Shove off, Dudley!" Harry shouted.

"Or what?...I know you can't use that thing when you're not in school. You can't hurt me." Dudley tried to smirk, but his fear was painfully obvious.

Before Harry could respond he felt a cold shiver pass though him. He'd felt this sensation in the past and knew it could only mean there were Dementors about. Dudley's expression seemed to pale, his companions seemed to feel the change in the air as well and they took off in haste leaving Dudley and Harry alone.

The sky seemed to darken as the air grew colder. In the distance Harry made out the distinct form of two Dementors moving swiftly towards him and his cousin. Hastily, he aimed his wand in their direction. Before he could react he heard his cousin shout that he couldn't see and the larger boy, in a panic began to stumble around him nearly knocking him over in the process.

Both Dementors approached rapidly as Harry tried with little success to calm Dudley. He shouted the patronus charm and that seemed to fend them off. Once they were gone he slipped his wand back in his pocket and began attending to his cousin. A sound in the distance made him start and looking around he noticed the petite figure of Arabella Figg standing on the end of the street.

"Don't put your wand up, Harry. They might come back." She spoke softly as she approached them.

Confused he pulled his wand back out. "You saw them?"

"Goodness no. I'm a squib, but I know what they feel like." She motioned for the two boys to get up and with some great effort Harry helped the still in shock Dudley to his feet. "We have to get you safe, Harry. Let's go."

With that to trio set off moving as swiftly as possible down the street.

tbc...

_Well, I hope people are enjoying this. Feedback would be greatly appreciated (hint hint). I am grateful for what I've gotten so far. I'm trying to keep with this one chapter a week deal, and thus far it's working well. I'll update as soon as I can. Let me know what ya'll think._


	5. Chapter 4

Chapter 4

Severus had a bad feeling as he turned the corner and stepped onto Privet Drive. When he saw two teenage boys moving at a near run towards him followed immediately by Arabella Figg he was certain some foulplay had occurred. Quickly he removed the invisibility cloak he'd been wearing and showed himself.

"What happened, Harry?" He asked as approached the obviously shaken young man, who was still clutching his cousin in one arm and holding out his wand in his other hand.

"Dementors attacked us in the park. Dudley couldn't see them. They tried to…they were going to…" Harry trailed off as he forced himself to take a deep breath.

"Calm yourself, child." Snape commanded, pulling his own wand from his robes and peering cautiously around the street. "Which house is yours? All these bloody muggle homes look the same to me."

"Third one down the row…just there." Harry pointed just behind Severus to the brick house where his uncle's car was parked. "We have to get Dudley some help."

"Arabella get yourself home and notify Dumbledore. I'll take care of Harry." Mrs. Figg nodded and quickly turned to leave. "Come on then."

Severus bustled them all forward, taking a quick note of their state and wondering to himself what might have happened had he not gotten here sooner. Before he could even conjure an idea he felt the familiar cold pass over him and turned his head back just briefly to look back. There were two Dementors at the end of the street they were just turning off of and they quickly began to move towards the trio.

"Bloody Hell!" He shouted, causing Harry and Dudley to jump in surprise. They both realized the Dementors were there and began to make haste towards the Dursley home.

The Dementors reached them before they got to the front door and Severus was quick to turn his wand on them.

"Expecto Patronum!" He and Harry shouted the incantation at the same time; their patronus' erupting from the ends of their wands in a bolt of white light.

What they did not expect were the two Death Eaters that rounded the opposite corner and caught them off guard with set of curses shot their way. A stream of red light came bursting towards Harry and Severus was quick to jump in front of it, shooting a curse of his own towards the two Death Eaters.

"Sectumsepra!" The wand hand of the first Death Eater fell to the ground and the man began to shout in agony and clutched at the remains of his arm.

Harry watched in amazement as Snape continued to fight off the other Death Eater with a barrage of curses and hexes the younger wizard had never seen before. In the end, Snape caught part of a blasting curse to his shoulder that sent him flying off into the grass in front of the Dursley's home. Harry was quick to move to his side, but Severus stopped him with a wave of his good arm. The lone Death Eater was already fleeing, shouting out to Snape just before he apparated.

"The Dark Lord will deal with you traitor!"

Severus sighed heavily as struggled to get to his feet. He knew it would only be a short while before the Ministry arrived and began to modify the memories of the muggles who'd taken to peeking out their windows to find out what the commotion was.

"Get…inside." He barked weakly as he pushed himself forward towards the front Dursley's front door.

Vernon and Petunia were already standing at the door with cracked open just enough for them to see what was going on, and were hesitant to allow their nephew inside until they saw Dudley's large frame being pushed forward just behind him.

"Dudders, what happened? Did Harry do this to you?" Petunia asked as she frantically took hold of her child and hefted him inside with the help of her husband.

The overly large teenage didn't speak a word as he was led into the house. Harry and Severus followed after him.

"What did YOU do?" Petunia was furious as she turned her icy glare towards her nephew.

"I believe your nephew saved your son from a Dementor. You do remember what those are, don't you, Petunia?" Severus spoke up from behind Harry.

"YOU! I won't have you in my house! Get out you bastard!" She screamed at him and moved towards him, her fists clenched.

The move surprised even Vernon as he'd never seen his wife so irate. He stepped up to stop her but wasn't fast enough. Her hand connected with Snape's cheek, leaving a red mark in its place.

"You've every right to hate me, but I came here to help." The apologetic tone of Severus' voice shocked Harry to the core. He had no idea that his aunt knew Snape, but was more than curious now as to how.

"I don't care. Get out of my house!"

Before he could respond there was a knock at the door. Severus seemed to change his demeanor as he glanced at the door and then back to Petunia Dursley.

"I'm afraid that's near impossible now. I haven't the strength to apparate just yet and we're about to have visitors."

The knocks grew louder and were accompanied by a voice Harry and Severus both recognized. It was Cornelius Fudge, and he was doing his best not to shout as he continued to pound his fist against the door, calling out for the Dursley's to open up.

"What have you done, boy?" Vernon Dursley queried as he glared at his nephew.

"As I've already explained, we haven't time for this now. Mr. Dursley if you'd be so kind as to give me a moment, you can answer the door once I am out of sight." Snape turned to Harry. "Is there a place here I might hide? It would be better if the Minister of Magic doesn't find me here."

Harry paused a moment then nodded. He gently pulled the still weak Snape forward and opened the cupboard under the stairs that had been his home for so long.

"Use the cloak. It's your best chance of staying hidden."

Snape peered inside once the door was open. He tried to scowl and the younger wizard, but knew the pain he was feeling probably made the look come out as more laughable than anything else.

"Very well. Just let Fudge talk. Don't worry about anything he says. Dumbledore will handle it."

After giving his orders Severus stepped in the cupboard and wrapped himself in the cloak, watching silently as the door closed on him.

Once Severus was hidden Harry quickly moved to the door. The wizard standing on the other side looked almost stunned to see Harry allow him inside.

"Well Harry, I'm afraid we have a problem now." Fudge started.

"Why is that?" Harry asked. It hadn't escaped him that his aunt and uncle were standing noticeably at a distance from himself and the Minister, once they'd closed the door.

"Another case of underage magic being done here. We have no choice this time. You will need to be present and hearing to determine whether or not you will be expelled from Hogwart's. Report to the Ministry of Magic at 9 o'clock in morning one week from today, my boy. We'll make our decision then."

Harry practically groaned in disgust. "I had no choice. There was a Dementor-"

"Nonsense, Mr. Potter. The Dementors are all guarding Azkaban right now. Why would they come here?"

Visibly irritated by Fudge's comments, Harry shrugged his shoulders. "Perhaps because Voldemort sent them to kill me?"

The Minister was shaken at the mention of He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named, and shook his head in disbelief. "I'll not listen to your stories, Harry. Be at the Ministry in one week. We will clean up the mess that was made out there, but you'd best consider telling us the truth when we meet again."

Before Harry could respond the wizard turned on his heel and moved for the exit. He was out the door in a flash, and Harry was left holding back the string of curses he wanted to let loose on the foolish prat for not believing him.

Bringing himself back to more pressing issues, he quickly turned his attention to the cupboard under the stairs. When he opened it up, he wasn't surprised to find that Severus was barely conscious.

"Professor Snape…wake up." He called out as he removed the invisibility cloak and pulled the older wizard into the living room.

"I won't have him in my house, Harry! I won't I tell you." Petunia ordered as she crossed her arms over her chest.

"Fine. Give me a minute and I'll get him out of here."

As if on cue, a red envelop flew through the fireplace and came to land directly on Petunia Dursley's chest. She glared at it for a moment, ready to toss it to Harry, then noticed it was addressed to her. Instantly Harry knew it was a howler and sat back waiting for her to open it, wondering who had sent it to her.

She tentatively pulled at the seal, then nearly jumped back as the note began to speak to her in a voice Harry was certain was familiar, but he could not quite place it.

_Remember my last, Petunia._

Harry stared dumbfounded as his aunt anxiously let go of the Howler and watched it disappear in a puff of smoke before her eyes.

"What did that mean?" He asked seeing the frightened expression on Petunia's face.

"Never you mind, boy. I expect you to get…HIM out of here as soon as possible." She practically growled as she turned to leave the room, the Vernon and Dudley following behind her.

The soft moan from the Potion's Master resting on the floor beside him brought Harry back to the task at hand and he carefully began to check the wound on the older wizard's shoulder. He had barely started when there was another knock on the door, this time much softer than before. A quick look out the window and he saw Remus Lupin standing on the front step.

"What are you doing here?" He asked frantically as he swung open the door.

"Dumbledore sent me…" Remus let his sentence trail off seeing Snape's body lying in the Dursley's hallway. "Merlin's beard, what happened?"

"Death Eaters were waiting for us…Professor Snape took out one, but another one hit him with a blasting curse."

Harry moved aside and allowed Lupin to come in and aide the wounded wizard. With a few waves of his wand and speaking few incantations Harry was vaguely familiar with, having spent so much time in Madam Pomphrey's care over the last few years, Lupin turned to Harry.

"I've done all I can. I'll have to get him to Hogwart's. Poppy will be able to do more than I can."

The younger wizard nodded. He was about to speak when Aunt Petunia's voice caught their attention.

"Take Harry with you."

"Excuse me?" Lupin asked, not certain he'd heard correctly.

"I did not stutter. Obviously, you are one of…his kind…He is no longer welcome in this house. Take him where he will no longer be a threat to me or my family. I won't stand to have in my home another night." The horse-faced woman did not blink as she continued. "And you can tell Dumbledore, I remember well what he told me, but I don't give a damn anymore. He can find some other place to hide this wretched creature."

Harry had heard her speak with disgust about him over the years, but this time he sensed more hatred in her than ever before, and for a moment he was almost frightened of her.

Lupin moved away from Severus and took a step towards Petunia. "If that is what you wish, I'll take him. Allow us to gather his things and ready our companion and we'll leave you and your family alone."

She sternly nodded. "Not a moment longer."

A split second later she turned on her heel and left them staring agape at one another.

tbc...


	6. Chapter 5

Jack sat on the couch sipping on a half empty beer bottle as he waited for Janet to return. The sun was about to set and he couldn't stop the feeling of dread that was coursing through him as he brought his legs to his chest, curling himself into a ball on the sofa. With a bottle in one hand and the remote in the other he continued to flip through the channels on the television, barely paying attention to what was shown.

An hour passed by, the sun gave up the sky to the moon, and Jack still sat waiting. Finally, he heard a key turn in the door, and he was on his feet in a flash. Reflexively, he reached for his wand, but quickly thought better of it and pulled the 9mm he'd placed underneath the couch and made for the door.

"Jack?" He heard her call out and smoothly placed the gun behind him in the waistband of his jeans.

"Took you long enough. I was ready to send out a search party."

She rolled her eyes at him as she stepped out of the doorway. A quick head motion told him that she was not alone and Jack could see a tall, dark-haired man he'd never met before coming up the walkway.

The stranger nodded and raised his arms in a peaceful gesture, obviously sensing Jack's wariness.

"Jack, this is Adam. You'll be staying with him for a while." Janet quickly closed the door and waved them into the living room.

They eyed one another for a long time before either spoke. Both had taken seats on opposite ends of the sofa, while Janet had seated herself in the chair across from them.

"I have to ask, Adam…Why would you do this for someone you don't even know?" Jack broke the silence with his question.

Adam pursed his lips a moment before he responded. "It's not for someone I don't know. I'm doing this for Janet."

Jack smirked. "You know what I mean."

"I suppose I do. Let's just say, I trust her, I have the means and am willing to do what she asks." Adam crossed his arms over his chest looking almost defiant.

"Fine…Where are we going?"

"Leave that to me. I'll let you know once we're out of town."

With an irritated sigh Jack shook his head. "No go, buddy. I don't work that way."

"Listen, Jack. Janet has explained what she could of your situation. You're in a great deal of danger right now. You need a safe place to hide, and your options are limited, otherwise she wouldn't have turned to me. She trusts me to keep you safe. If you trust her, you need to trust me. It's obvious you need me a helluva lot more than I need you."

"Screw you." Jack cursed, and then turned to Janet, who had been quietly watching the interaction between the two men. "This isn't going to work."

"Why don't you shove your male egos for a moment, gentlemen. This is going to work. If it doesn't I'll kill you both myself." She glared at both men. "Adam, you may come back, but I do know how to make it permanent…and Jack, you only have one life…I wouldn't suggest tempting me to relieve you of it."

She got to her feet and stormed out of the room, leaving the two men dumbfounded as they watched her petite figure disappear into the kitchen.

"I truly love that little woman." Jack quipped once he was certain Janet was out of hearing distance.

Adam chuckled softly in response. "I wouldn't let her hear you refer to her as 'little.' She has rather large needles and no fear of using them."

Jack was silent for a moment as he winced thinking about the truth in the other man's statement. "Why do you think I waited until she was out of earshot?"

"Ahhh…so you're not as dumb as you look."

Roling his eyes the gray-haired colonel shook his head. "So…Adam…I'm guessing that's not your real name?"

The immortal raised an eyebrow in curiosity as he nodded confirming Jack's suspicion.

"I suppose that doesn't matter…Look. We got off on the wrong foot here." Jack shifted in his seat. "I'm willing to admit I could use the help, but I need you to understand that the things I'm dealing with are way out of your league."

Adam tried to suppress his laughter at how absurd Jack's comment seemed to him, but he failed. "I highly doubt that."

Jack smirked. "Trust me. My issues far outweigh your pathetic little 'game'."

"You know nothing of what it is to be one of us." Adam countered the irritation clear in his voice.

"You'd be surprised at what I know. Janet has been in my life since I was a boy. I know quite a bit."

The two men stared each other down for what seemed like ages, neither willing to concede. Finally, Adam shook his head and broke the silence.

"I owe Jeanette, that's why I'm doing this. I'll do whatever I must to keep you safe, Jack, but this won't work unless you give me a little trust…and I do the same for you." He reached out his hand across the sofa towards Jack. "Shall we call a truce?"

The wizard pondered the question for a moment before taking and shaking the outstretched hand.

"I don't give my trust easily, Adam."

"Neither do I."

* * *

They'd moved as quickly as they could, gathering Harry's things and attending to Severus as best as they could. A part of Harry was excited to finally be leaving the Dursley's, and another part of him was terrified because had no idea where he was going to go. With everything that was going on, he just wasn't sure where a safe place was for him to be until the school term started. 

"Remus, how are we going to leave?" Harry asked breaking himself from his reverie of thoughts.

"Hopefully, your blasted godfather will be able to help me with that." Remus quipped as he pulled his wand out.

Harry watched as the older wizard appeared to be casting a patronus, though he did not speak the incantation, instead he seemed to be talking to someone else that was not in the room. "Come to Privet Drive. Quickly."

The patronus-like cloud floated off and through the window, and Harry turned to his former Defense teacher, an eyebrow raised in curiosity.

"What did you just do?"

"Sent a message to, Sirius." Lupin answered matter-of-factly. "I can't very well apparate us all, and with your aunt in such a snit I won't leave you or Severus here while I try to apparate you one at a time."

They waited a few minutes before there was a loud knock on the door. Together they barreled down the stairs, where'd they left Snape resting as comfortably as possible on the chair beside the door. Harry was the first to reach the doorknob and he carefully pulled it open, and was none too surprised to find a concerned looking Sirius Black staring back at him.

"What's going on? Are you alright, Harry? Remus?" Frantic, Sirius stepped inside and caught sight of Severus' still unconscious form. "What the bloody hell happened?"

"I haven't time to explain, Padfoot." Lupin started. "We have to get Harry and Severus out of here."

Sirius nodded. "Where exactly are we going?"

"You take Harry back to Headquarters and I'll take Snape back to Hogwarts. We have to move quickly. Petunia renounced her protection and the wards around the house are already beginning to fail. Once they're gone we won't be able to come back."

"What the…" Sirius started to question his old friend, but stopped seeing the urgency in the other wizard's eyes. "Very well. Let's get going, so you can get to explaining all this to me."

Harry led Sirius upstairs to where his things where packed neatly in his trunk and Black quickly used his wand to transport the object away.

"Where's Hedgwig?" He asked noticing the owl was nowhere in sight.

"We sent her ahead and Remus transfigured the cage to fit into my trunk."

"Alright. Well, off we go." He took hold of Harry's waist and was about to apparate when Harry pulled away.

For a moment he stared around the room, thinking about the house that had been like a prison to him for most of his young life. He couldn't explain the strange feeling he felt just then as he said goodbye to all that he'd ever known here in this house. It wasn't sadness, nor joy, but a seeming emptiness that threatened to engulf him as he finally put his arms around Sirius' waist and waited for the telltale popping sound of apparation.

Harry opened his eyes to find he was standing in the grass, the surroundings quite unfamiliar, though he was certain it was some sort of park. He released his grip on his godfather and began to look around.

"Where are we?" He asked seeing his trunk lying on the ground just behind him.

"Almost where we need to be. Come on." Sirius never looked in Harry's direction, only held his wand out and motioned for the younger wizard to get his trunk.

Together they moved forward through the park until they reached a street. Sirius anxiously eyed the surrounding area as though he expected someone to be following them. Finally, satisfied they were alone he pulled Harry along across the road.

Harry took notice of the street numbers and found it odd that there seemed to be a number missing. Curiously, he decided to point it out to Black.

"Where's number 12? There's an 11, and then it jumps to 13…that's a bit strange."

To his surprise a piece of paper was thrust into his palm by Sirius as the older wizard began to chuckle softly to himself.

"What's this?"

Sirius shook his head. "Just read it."

"Headquarters-"

"Not out loud, Harry!"

Stunned by his godfather's sudden shout, Harry paused before silently finishing the piece of paper.

_Headquarters of the Order of the Phoenix, Number 12 Grimmauld Place_.

An instant later, in between number 11 and 13 a house began to appear, as though it had always been there, and Harry gasped in shock.

"Welcome to my home." Sirius stated as he pushed Harry forward, opening the door before taking hold of the boy's trunk and pulling it inside behind them.

tbc...

_I must apologize for the lag between chapters here. RL got in the way. Hope you all enjoyed this, and I do have another chapter ready to post. I'll have it up as soon as I get a chance to._


	7. Chapter 6

Chapter 6

"He's worse than a child, Jeanette." Methos growled as he ran a hand through his hair, still calming down after his discussion with Jack.

The wizard had retreated to the opposite end of the house to take a shower and ready a few things so he and Methos could leave the following morning, and the two immortals were taking the opportunity to converse while he was out of range.

She smiled softly. "I know he can be trying, but give him time. I'm truly grateful to you for doing this."

"How did you ever put up with him as a boy?"

Janet chuckled. "Thankfully, I had his grandparents to pass him back to when got too rambunctious."

"I'm certain he was quite the handful."

"That he was." Her expression sobered. "Listen, you'll need to be careful."

"I know how to hide someone."

"Methos, I don't doubt that, but Jack is…different. The people looking for him...they have ways. If you're even the slightest bit careless..."

He shook his head. "You said you trusted me. Let me do what I know how to do. I'll keep him safe. I swear it."

A tear rolled down her cheek and he was quick to pull her into a tight embrace. They stood like that for what seemed like ages before they finally parted.

"I suppose I shouldn't be so mother-hennish with him, but I can't help it. He's the closest thing I have to my own child."

He nodded. "I understand, believe me, I do."

"Are the two of you finished talking about me?" They both looked up when they heard Jack's voice call out from the living room.

Janet scowled. "You wretched, man. Get in here."

He stepped inside the room a moment later, a sheepish grin on his face.

"I didn't want to interrupt."

"The hell you didn't. How long were you listening to us?" She brought her hands to her hips in a rather stern gesture.

"Not long. Just enough to hear you admit to being a mother hen."

Trying not to laugh she reached out and playfully smacked the taller man on the head, though he attempted to duck out of the way.

"Children! Calm down, now."

"Yes, Dad." Jack jokingly retorted as he darted away from another slap from

Janet.

* * *

Harry waited impatiently by the window. He couldn't explain why he felt so afraid for Severus at that moment, but he did. His heart sank low in his chest as he sat quietly allowing his mind to wander.

"He should be just fine." Sirius voice caught him by surprise and the younger wizard turned to look up at his godfather.

"What are you talking about?" He tried to keep the uncertainty out of his voice, but knew in an instant he failed.

"You can't fool me, Harry. I know you're worried about Snape."

Harry sighed. "He risked his life to save me, Sirius."

"Any of us would have done the same."

"I spent all these years hating him, even after I found out he was Uncle Jack's brother I still doubted him. Until tonight I…" The young wizard trailed off, feeling his own shame burning on his cheeks.

Sirius took a few steps, stopping when he was close enough to rest a hand on Harry's shoulder. "No one blames you for that, Harry. He was playing his part well."

"But even after I knew who he was…I still didn't trust him. He could have died and I didn't believe in him." Harry flailed his arms in the air, pulling away from his godfather.

"Calm yourself, boy. Honestly, you're being a bit dramatic. Severus isn't going to die and your belief or disbelief in him really isn't that-"

Harry cut him off with a wave of his hand. "Stop it! It may not matter to you or Snape, but it matters to me."

"I assure you, Harry, he will be alright."

"But…"

Sirius pulled his godson into an embrace, surprised when he boy began to weep in his arms.

"I don't understand, Sirius. Why is all of this happening?"

"I wish I could give you an answer to that, Harry. I really wish I could."

* * *

Jack packed the few things he had in a small satchel and strapped it on his shoulder before moving towards the bedroom door. He took a deep breath before he stepped out of the room, not surprised when he saw Janet standing outside the room waiting for him.

"Well, I guess this is it." He said as nonchalantly as he could manage.

"Adam will keep you safe."

Jack shook his head. "My being safe is the least of my concerns. I just hope I can do all this in time."

"You will. Harry and the others are counting on you, and I've never known you to let anyone down when it really mattered."

The petite immortal pulled the taller man into an embrace and Jack was reluctant to let her go. When they did pull apart both had tears in their eyes.

"Alright…We'd better get going. The sooner I get started the sooner this will all be over."

As soon as the words left his lips a sense of dread passed over Janet Frasier as she silently prayed that things would end far better than she feared they would.

Lupin held the Potion's Master in his arms, moving swiftly towards the castle. When he reached Hagrid's hut the mammoth man was waiting for him.

"Give im ta me, Remus. McGonagall is waitin fer us." He took hold of Snape's limp form and they all took off moving up the path to the castle entrance.

A few minutes later they had made their way to the hospital wing and Madam Pomphrey was looking the Hogwart's professor over carefully as Remus and McGonagall discussed what had happened at Privet Drive.

"Harry said that the Dementors attacked him and his cousin. Severus intervened and that's when two Death Eaters showed up. He killed one but got hit with a blasting curse and the other one got away."

Minerva shook her head. "This is not good at all, Remus. He will have lost his cover for certain."

"You-know-who will come afer im fer sure." Hagrid chimed in as he watched Pomphrey working to heal Snape across the room.

"Where's Dumbledore?" Lupin asked, noticing that the headmaster had not shown himself yet.

"I've no idea. He's been gone since the end of last term. He left word he would return before the first day of classes."

Remus looked from Hagrid to Minerva, shaking his head. "Why would he disappear like that?"

Professor McGonagall opened her mouth to speak, but was stopped abruptly by Madam Pomphrey's frantic shouting from across the room.

"Bloody Hell! Stop moving you wretched man!"

The dark-haired wizard groaned loudly pushing the mediwitch away as he struggled to sit up. "Where's Harry?!"

They all hurried to his side quickly to try and calm the frantic Potion's Master.

_tbc...sorry for the delay in posting chapters, next chapter is just about done...I should have time to post it during the week sometime, if not it'll be up by next weekend for sure._


	8. Chapter 7

Chapter 7

It had been several hours since he'd arrived at his godfather's house and Harry couldn't help but feel a sense of dread as he

It had been several hours since he'd arrived at his godfather's house and Harry couldn't help but feel a sense of dread as he sat cross-legged on the bed in the room Sirius had led him to after he'd been given a brief tour of the strange house. Everything seemed to be spinning about in his mind as the young wizard struggled to make sense of it all. Sirius had explained about the Order of the Phoenix and that his parents had been a part of it when Voldemort had first come to power. Despite his interest in what his godfather had been telling him, Harry couldn't help but be concerned about the fate Severus Snape.

He had been more than surprised when the Potion's Master had arrived to assist him with the Dementors and even more shocked when he took on the Death Eaters to protect him. The whole thing seemed almost surreal, and now he was left to wonder if his protector would survive. Despite his godfather's assurances, Harry was still concerned, wishing he could do something besides wait and hide. It was that helpless feeling the young wizard hated more than anything else.

Thankfully when Harry realized that Hermione, Ron and the other Weasley children were also in the house, he had a good distraction and was able to keep his worry for Snape to a minimum, though they did not take it away completely. It was good to see them again and to catch up with all that had been going on during their summer breaks.

* * *

They'd been on the road for over an hour, riding in silence with Jack watching the sun fade in the distance while Adam steered the car down the long highway. Finally, Jack broke the silence with a simple question.

"So are you planning on telling me where we're going any time soon?"

Adam hesitated before answering, earning him a curious look from the wizard seated beside him. "Seacouver."

"Hmmm…never been there."

"It's near the Canadian border. A friend of mine is out of town for the next few months, so his place is available. It's a good place to stay out of sight."

Jack sighed, contented to at least to know where they were headed. "Like I said, never been there."

"Good. Hopefully, no one will look there for you."

A few minutes went by with them again in silence. Jack leaned back in his seat, readying to close his eyes when Adam cleared his throat to get his passenger's attention.

"I know it's not particularly my business, but Janet said you were looking for something. If you don't mind my asking, what is it you're trying to find?"

"It's complicated."

Adam smirked at the abrupt response. "Very well. I suppose we're all entitled to our secrets."

With a nod Jack turned his attention to the window, allowing himself to fall into a fitful sleep.

_He could feel the panic rise inside him as he stepped further into the dense fog, reaching out around him hoping to find something other than air to grab onto. With a frustrated yell he waved his hands around in front of him, easing himself forward. A few moments passed before a familiar voice stopped him in his tracks._

"_Calm down! You'll only tire your arms out doing that."_

"_Charlie?" Jack asked, turning in the direction of the voice his confusion evident._

_  
"Geez Dad…Who else would it be?"_

"_What the Hell is going on?"_

_The childlike voice chuckled playfully at him. "You're dreaming of course."_

_Jack raised an eyebrow, shaking his head in irritation. "That's not telling me much. Don't worry, Dad. It'll all make sense soon. I just came to tell you to trust your guide and you'll find what you're looking for...He's waiting for you."_

_He still couldn't see Charlie, but the as the boy spoke he was certain he was getting closer to him._

"_He? Who? What does that mean?"_

_Again Charlie laughed. "Just remember this name…Methos. He'll take you where you need to be."_

_Frustrated Jack clenched his fists together. "Who is Methos?"_

"_Just remember that name…" This time the voice seemed to be moving farther away and Jack tried to reach out, only for it to be out of his grasp. "Methos…Just remember it…Good luck, Dad."_

Jack slowly opened his eyes, the strange name still on his lips. "Methos."

The name left his mouth in barely a whisper, but Adam was certain he'd heard it. Cautiously, he eyed the still groggy man next to him wondering how he could know his true name.

'Surely Jeanette wouldn't have told him?' The immortal said to himself as his curiosity as well as concern grew.

"Are you alright?" He asked seeing Jack begin to look more alert.

Jack tensed at the question, then immediately slipped into what he had long ago dubbed 'the dumb soldier' act. "Yeah. Didn't realize I'd fallen asleep. How long have I been out?"

"Maybe an hour or so. There's a gas station a few miles up the road…we can stop there and stretch for a bit if you like?" The immortal glared at Jack, a doubtful expression clear on his face.

Ignoring the look he was being given, Jack silently nodded, turning to stare out the window, as he pondered the meaning of his dream.

* * *

"Where's Harry?" Still frantic Snape tried to get out of the bed only to be held back by Hagrid's firm grip on his left arm.

"He's with Sirius at Order Headquarters. He's safe, Severus." Remus quickly answered, hoping the response would calm the Potion's Master, but the incredulous expression on Snape's face told the werewolf otherwise.

"Petunia renounced her protection didn't she?"

Remus nodded solemnly.

"It's my fault…she never would have done so if I had not gone to the house." The weary professor leaned back in the bed as Hagrid loosened his grip.

Something akin to tears seemed to be forming in the normally stoic wizard's eyes and turned away in shame.

"If you hadn't been there, Voldemort's men would have taken Harry. You did all you could have. This is not your fault." Remus tried to comfort Severus only to be weakly pushed away.

"I promised Jack I'd protect the boy and tonight all I've done is destroy the one true protection he had."

Minerva shook her head fiercely as she took a seat on the end of the bed. "Severus my friend, you've done everything to keep that boy alive for four years. Tonight you kept Voldemort from getting his hands on him once again. You of all people can place no blame on yourself."

Severus shook his head in disagreement with witch who had gently taken hold of his right hand. "How can you say that, Minerva? If it weren't for me…Lily and James would still be alive, that boy would still have his parents…Jack and Sirius would not be on the run…it's completely my fault and everyone in this room knows it!"

"You're wrong, Snape." Remus' voice was soft but it caught everyone's attention. "I may remember things a bit differently, but Lily and James didn't die because of you. They died because Peter betrayed us all. You take too much responsibility for things. You always have. We each made our choices all those years ago, and we are responsible for that and that alone. Some of those decisions were poorly made, but no one of them were the single cause of all of this."

"You don't understand, Lupin. Jack only became a Deatheater to try and protect me. If he hadn't been trying to save me and Lily at the same time, she never would have died…none of this would have happened."

"How wrong you are, my dear Severus." To everyone's surprise it was Dumbledore's voice speaking from across the room.

tbc...

_Yes, I'll apologize now for the cliffy I'm ending this chapter on...I promise the next chapter will be posted soon. Thanks to PatriciaS and Tracey for your feedback, and just so you know, I cannot promise that certain deaths won't happen as this fic progresses. I already have two planned, though things could change. It all depends on the muses and what they see fit to let me do. Anyway, thanks again to all who are reading this. Hope you have enjoyed this chapter. Until next time._


	9. Chapter 8

Chapter 8

He stood in the doorway the usual smirk on his face as he began to make a stride towards the group.

"Albus? Where've you been?" Minerva asked, dumbfounded at the sight before her.

"I have been rather pre-occupied of late, but it appears things have been just as busy while I've been away."

Severus groaned in disgust. "I've made a right cock-up of things."

The Headmaster raised an eyebrow at Snape. "Remus is correct. You place far too much blame on yourself, my friend and you always have."

"I should never have gone into that house."

Albus shook his head. "Are you suggesting you should have remained in the street and kept young Harry and his cousin in danger?"

Snape tried to sit up only to find himself held back by Hagrid's firm grip once more, and he sank back on the bed. "Now he has no protection! I knew how much Petunia felt towards me. She has since we were children."

"What that infernal woman hates is not you, but what she cannot have. This was bound to happen with or without your intercession. We always planned for this possibility, ever since we sent Harry to live with the Dursleys." Dumbledore reached the bedside and stopped, staring down at Severus. "Now we must do as we said we would."

"But-" Severus stopped in his tracks as Albus waved his wand in front of him.

"If a silencing charm is all that will keep you from arguing with me, I will keep it in place until we've finished our task." The Headmaster had a twinkle in his eye as the Potion's Master glared up at him in anger as he furiously searched the nearby area for his own wand to undo the spell that had just been placed on him.

* * *

The wolf-like patronus swooped into the window, startling Sirius as he attempted to set the kitchen table as Molly Weasley had instructed him.

"Snape is well. Go ahead with the plan. Dumbledore will meet with us tomorrow night at Headquarters." Remus voice echoed through the room and Sirius sighed in a mixture of relief and frustration.

"Molly!" He called out, moving towards the kitchen.

"Yes, Dear?" The plump redhead cheerfully popped her head out of the kitchen door a bright smile on her face.

"We've a meeting tomorrow night and…Albus is back."

"Very well. Dinner will be ready in ten minutes. Get the children downstairs." Her smile changed to a look of seriousness as she nodded and stepped back inside the room and set about to finish dinner and inform the rest of the Order.

Black shouted up the staircase for Harry, Hermione and the Weasley children to ready for supper. Not surprisingly they barreled down the steps moments later and took their seats at the table. Harry was the last to come down and Sirius was quick to pull him aside and let him know that Severus was indeed alright.

* * *

Jack surveyed his surroundings as they stepped out of the vehicle. The brick building seemed strangely familiar to him, but he couldn't figure out why. A tattered sign on the door read 'DeSalvos' and the words 'Closed for Remodeling' were printed just below it.

"So what is this place?" The wizard asked as Methos unlocked the door and motioned for Jack to follow him inside.

"It's a gym of course, or can't you tell?" The immortal quipped as he pointed at the mats and exercise equipment scattered around the room.

"That was gonna be my first guess."

"You are a perceptive young one, aren't you?"

Jack smirked. "Smartass."

"Yes and I've worked rather hard to obtain that title." Methos smiled and moved towards the elevator with Jack in step behind him.

"You make it seem so effortless."

They lowered the gate and took the lift to the second floor. Jack nodded his head in approval at the apartment they stepped into a moment later.

"Now this is nice." In his head he was thinking that Daniel would love all of the interesting objects spread about the place.

"Mac collects quite a bit of junk, so do be careful with his things."

"I'll do my best, Dad." The sarcasm rolled off the gray-haired wizard's tongue effortlessly as he dropped his satchel on the floor and took a seat on the couch.

"It's a good thing Janet warned me about what a wretched creature you are, Jack." With a smirk Jack winked at his companion as he leaned back in the seat.

"What can I say? I'm just loveable like that, Adam. So what's the plan?"

"And what plan are you referring to?"

Jack groaned. "Don't give me that. I'm not asking for full disclosure here, just a rough sketch will do."

Methos shrugged his shoulders. "You'll know when you need to know and not a second before. It's my job to keep you safe, and the less you know the safer you are."

At that Jack shook his head, stood up from his seat and moved towards the kitchen, the perturbed expression on his face clear. Despite his years of military service, hearing that line used on himself unnerved him to no end. Taking a deep breath he opened the refrigerator in front of him and looked inside. Seeing what he wanted he pulled out a cold bottle of beer and began rummaging around the drawers for an opener.

A few minutes later, as he sat sipping his brew his mind drifted back to the dream he'd had in car and he began to wonder just who this mysterious 'Methos' really was and how they would be able to help him. He continued his ruminations until he noticed the immortal move to stand beside him.

"What?" Jack asked not trying to hide his irritation.

"Sulking really doesn't become you?"

"And I should care what you say, why?"

Rolling his eyes Methos crossed his arms over his chest. "You know for someone your age you'd think you'd act a bit more mature."

Despite knowing the dark-haired immortal was right, Jack couldn't help the frustrated part of him that wanted nothing more at that moment than to get under the other man's skin. "Compared to you I'm sure I'm little more than a child, so why not act like one?"

"Fine. Have it your way." He walked away across the room and lay down on the bed, grabbing a magazine as he did so and began flipping through the pages.

Day turned into night as the two men remained in relative silence. Jack had eventually settled on the couch and began to carefully go through the contents of the satchel he'd brought with him. At some point while Jack was engrossed in his task, Methos had gone though MacLeod's closet and found some spare linens and left them on the couch for Jack. As night went on Jack made up the couch and readied himself to sleep. They turned the lights out around midnight, neither man willing to speak to the other.

As he lay quietly on the bed Methos' thoughts drifted back to the conversation he'd had with Janet the night before he and Jack left.

_They sat together on the bed in her room, both knowing Jack was downstairs in the den writing a letter to his nephew. Methos could see the fear and concern written all over his former student's face as she curled her legs underneath her while she spoke to him._

"_Give me your word, Methos. Swear to me you will protect him with your life." Her expression brooked no argument and the older immortal nodded._

"_I will do everything in my power to keep him safe, Janet. I swear on my life I will do as you've asked, but I am curious…why is he so important? This is more than simply him being a part of your family, isn't it?"_

_With a heavy sigh she turned her head away. "I won't lie to you, but there are things I can't tell you. He has a destiny that he must fulfill."_

_The normally cynical immortal raised an eyebrow in curiosity. "It's not like you to believe in things like destiny and fate."_

"_I've changed in the last century or so. I haven't forgotten all you taught me, but things I've seen over the years have shown that we each have our own destiny and sometimes the fates do lead us down certain paths for a reason."_

_Methos nodded again. "Has living around witches and wizards changed you that much? I just don't understand it."_

"_If I could explain it better, I would." She reached out her hand and placed it gently on his right shoulder. "I thank you, mo __múinteoir__…for all you're doing."_

_With a soft smile he took her hand from his shoulder and firmly gripped it in his own, trying to reassure her. "There is little I wouldn't do for you."_

He was roused from his thoughts when he felt the presence of another immortal close by. Immediately he tensed and mentally cursed himself for thinking that Duncan MacLeod's place would be safe, as the young immortal was biggest trouble magnet he'd ever met. He reached for the 9mm he had placed under his pillow and moved towards the door, stopping just beside Jack when heard a creak of the steps near the door.

Jack woke sensing someone moving close to him. He remained calm, trying to gauge his surroundings and realized that Adam had moved towards the door, his gun in hand.

"What's wrong, Adam?" He asked sitting up and reaching for the wand he'd safely tucked away in his bag.

A moment later the apartment door opened and Methos quickly turned the light on, surprising the intruder as he aimed his gun.

tbc...

_mo __múinteoirmy teacher  
_

_Please don't throw anything, I promise the next chapter will be up soon. Oh, and as to the question someone had about where is the rest of SG-1 during all this, they will be coming up very soon. I haven't forgotten about them, but I had some other part of the story to tell before I could get back to them._


	10. Chapter 9

_I apologize for how long it has taken to post this chapter. Apparently my version of soon and real life's version of soon differ greatly, that and my computre crashed which happened to have the recent chapters of this story saved to it. Thankfully due a wonder computer wiz friend of my brothers I was able to get a good portion of the fic back but getting the computer back took longer than expected. Anyway, I am back and will resume posting chapters in a much timelier manner. Sorry again for the delay, hope I have lost too many readers. Enjoy. On to the story..._

* * *

_Chapter 9_

"Amanda! What the bloody hell are you doing here?" Methos shouted lowering his weapon.

The petite brunette smiled. "Well hello to you too, Methos. Where's Duncan?"

The older immortal shook his head. "Still in Paris as far as I know. I'm borrowing his flat for a few days…and you know better than to call me that in front of company."

Amanda Dereaux smiled and glanced over Methos' shoulder. She waved at Jack who was glaring at the two immortals like a deer caught in headlights.

For a moment there was a deafening silence between the trio as Amanda looked from one to the other taking in their haggard appearance, Methos shirtless in a thin pair of pajama bottoms and Jack in white wife beater and boxers, his dog tags dangling down and resting against his chest.

"Just what are you up to, old man?" She asked, raising an eyebrow at Methos. "I never would have guessed you swung that way."

Methos gaped as his jaw dropped as he realized what she must have thought. "You wench! He's not my lover."

At that Jack fell back onto the couch, his mind reeling. He was certain he'd heard this Amanda correctly when she'd called Adam 'Methos' and her insinuating that he and Adam were lovers was just too much. His fingers gently began to massage his temples as he took in this new bit of information and a headache began to set in.

"Are you alright, Jack?" Methos asked seeing the distress on wizard's face.

"Just fine, Adam…or should I call you Methos?" He hadn't meant the last part to come out so harshly, and he instantly regretted it. He jumped to his feet and began pacing the floor behind the couch as Amanda and Methos moved out of his way. "Damn it! I don't believe this. Why me? Why is it always me? This damn 'gift' could have been given to anyone, but no it had to be me!"

The two immortals watched and listened intently as Jack rambled on for several minutes about having a 'gift' and despising it until finally he collapsed to his knees and both moved quickly to his side.

"Jack, are you alright?" Methos asked as he carefully lifted the wizard to the couch while Amanda went to the kitchen to fetch some water for the visibly exhausted mortal.

"I should have guessed it was you. It makes sense you know." Jack trembled in Methos' arms, but he gratefully took small sips of the water Amanda brought to him.

"What's he talking about?" The confusion on Amanda's face was clear but all Methos could do was shrug his shoulders.

"I've no idea, Amanda."

The looked down and Jack had closed his eyes and drifted into slumber, leaving the two immortals to wonder what it was they had just witnessed.

***

The House of Black seemed to buzz with a mixture of excitement and fear as Harry, Sirius, Hermione Granger and the Weasleys waited for Dumbledore to arrive. For Harry he was happy to see Ron and Hermione again, but he couldn't help but feel a bit upset that everyone around him seemed to know more than he did about everything that had been going on in the wizarding world and with his Uncle Jack. He had tried to his best to hide the anger he felt, but it was apparent to all that Harry was far from being alright with being kept in the dark.

Finally the hour came and the old house shook slightly before the front door opened to reveal a bright eyed Albus Dumbledore followed by Minerva McGonagall, Remus Lupin and dreadfully weary looking Severus Snape.

"You mean to tell me Poppy let this one out her sight?" Molly Weasley remarked as she bustled forward taking hold of the Potion Master's arm and pulling him towards the nearby den so he could sit down.

"I'm afraid he gave her little choice. He was adamant about seeing Harry." Remus responded seeing that none of his companions were readying to answer.

Severus waved his arms around trying to free himself from Molly's grip and it was then that she realized the tall wizard hadn't made a single sound since entering the house.

"What's wrong with you, Severus? Can't you speak?" She asked and he gave her an icy glare before turning it on Albus.

Everyone stared back and forth between the two wizards in confusion, until Albus chose to speak up.

"I've put a silencing charm on him. He was not willing to hear reason and until he is, the charm will remain in place."

Snape slammed his fists against the table in response.

"Calm yourself, Severus." Said Molly as she turned back to the group. "We'd best get started. We haven't any time to waste."

With that the Meeting began.

***

Daniel had paced the floor in his office for much of the last hour, wondering about all that had happened in the past few months since finding out his best friend was a wizard. It had all seemed to go by in a blur at the time, but now that he was stopping to think on it all, it began to overwhelm him.

During his last meeting with Jack, only two days earlier he'd wanted to curse the man for all that was happening but deep down he knew it was no more Jack's fault than it was anyone else's. He sighed heavily as he caught a glance at the clock. A knock on his door got his attention and he turned to see Lou Ferretti smiling back at him.

"Hey doc! So where are we headed for lunch?" The Major asked. "I gotta admit I was surprised at the invite. Don't get me wrong, doc…you're an alright fella just never known you to hang out with too many folks outside of the colonel the rest of SG-1."

"We can go wherever. I'm not too picky. I just want to get outta the mountain for a bit…get some fresh air, you know?"

Ferretti nodded. "I hear ya. I know a spot in town that has the best burgers in the state. How's that sound?"

Daniel grinned as he grabbed his jacket and began moving towards the door. "Perfect."

Twenty minutes later they were sitting together in Lou's truck on their way get lunch. Nervously, Daniel fidgeted in his seat and tapped on the car door as they drove along. They reached the burger joint, parked and went inside. When their food arrived they both dug in. A few minutes later it was Lou who finally broke their silence.

"Alright, Dr. Jackson…what's this all about?" Daniel looked up, a sheepish grin on his face. "It's obvious you wanted me outta the mountain for a reason, now what gives?"

Taking a deep breath Daniel started. "I have a message for you from Jack."

Lou gaped. "The colonel has been missing for months, Daniel. Are you saying you know where he is?"

The archeologist shrugged his shoulders as he adjusted his glasses. "Not exactly."

Calming himself with a few deep breaths Ferretti spoke up. "What's the message?"

Daniel reached into his jacket pocket and pulled out a small piece of parchment, carefully pushing it across the table to his companion. Lou opened it and then looked up at Daniel in confusion for there appeared to be no writing on the parchment.

"He said you'd know how to read it."

With that Lou slowly got up and motioned for Daniel to follow. They headed back out to the truck and got inside.

"How much do you know, Jackson?" Lou asked tersely.

"Judging by your reaction just now, I'd say I was right in thinking you're a wizard like Jack."

Lou shook his head. "There aren't many wizards like Jack."

Daniel curiously raised his left eyebrow and nodded. "But you do know how to read the note, don't you?"

Without another word Ferretti reached across Daniel and opened the glove compartment to reveal a slender stick of wood that Daniel recognized as a wand. Lou took hold of it and gently touched it to the parchment. In an instant the words became visible.

_Lou,_

_Sorry about leaving you in the dark for so long like this, but I didn't have much choice. You can trust Daniel. I swear it. I need you to ready the rest of the magicfolk in the mountain. I honestly thought I could prevent this from happening, but I'm afraid I can't. Voldemort is on his way and you're the only one who knows where and who everyone is. Daniel and Hammond know my plan. If you can get the others to go along, we may have a chance at keeping the gate safe. We don't have much time, so please hurry. Again, I'm sorry for telling you like this, and I hope you can forgive me for it someday._

_Your Friend,_

_Jack_

_tbc..._


	11. Chapter 10

Chapter 10

The meeting had been going on for nearly an hour as the Order discussed their plans on how to keep Harry safe until the start of term, which was still a month away. As he listened to those around him talk and plan the teenager became disgusted with what he was hearing and bolted upright out of his seat.

"You're all talking about me like I'm not even here! I'm standing right here! Don't I get a say in what my future is? I don't give a toss what the lot of you have to say, this is my life and from now on no one runs my life but me!"

In a flash Harry turned and ran out of the room, slamming the door behind him. Molly Weasley was the first to get to her feet to go after him, but it was a raised hand by Severus that stopped her. The Potion's Master turned towards Dumbledore and pointed at this throat, giving the headmaster a knowing stare.

"Alright, Severus. Speak to the boy, but he must understand we are doing this for his own good." Albus waved his wand and undid the silencing spell.

Snape massaged his throat for a moment before speaking, his voice sounding somewhat hoarse as he did so.

"You're wrong on this one, Albus. The boy deserves to have a say in this. Don't make the same mistake you did with Jack."

Before Dumbledore could respond Snape turned on his heel and left the room, the group watching him go with dumbfounded expressions on their faces.

Severus moved through the corridors of the drafty old house, stopping when he reached Harry's room. He could hear the faint sound of crying through the door and he raised his hand and began to softly knock.

"Shove off! I don't care what any of you have to say. I meant what I said downstairs. Now, just leave me alone."

The older wizard took a deep breath, then eased the door open and stepped inside. Harry was lying face down on his bed; he sat up realizing someone had entered. He sniffled as he brought his hand up to wipe away the tears he'd already shed.

"I know we've never seen eye to eye on much, Harry, and I honestly don't blame you for shouting at everyone a moment ago." Snape moved closer to Harry, his robes swishing on the hardwood flooring as he came to stand just in front of the young wizard. "but I'm asking you to understand that Dumbledore and the others mean well."

Harry's expression soured. "If you think that then you can piss off too then."

He started to stand and push past Snape, but the taller man took hold of his shoulders and held him in place.

"I blame myself for this, Harry. If I hadn't shown up at your aunt's house none of this would be happening. You'd still have a safe place to live."

Harry jerked himself away from Severus, his eyes wild with anger as he began to shout at the Potion's Master. "Safe! You call living with that fat cow and his wife safe? Getting pounded on nearly everyday by that monstrosity they call a son is safe? You've completely lost your mind! I don't care that you all thought I was safe in that wretched house. I know it was hell and I'd rather die than go back to that again. Whatever protection surrounded that house and kept Voldemort away wasn't worth what I've been through in living there!"

Again the tears fell from Harry's eyes as his anger subsided and he looked up at the man he'd once considered his adversary, but seeing the concern and understanding in Snape's eyes, he wasn't sure what he should consider him anymore.

"I'm so sorry, Harry. I'd take your pain from you if I could." Severus held the shaking boy in his arms for a long moment before they separated, Harry looking quiet haggard and to Snape's eyes far more than his 15 years of age.

***

As Jack cracked his eyes open he felt a wave of dizziness hit him and immediately he closed them once more. The feeling that he was spinning began to fade and he ventured to try and open his eyes once more. Rays of sunlight pierced through the room like a blade as he slowly began to sit upright on the sofa. For a moment he thought he had dreamed the strange woman entering the apartment the night before, but as he turned his head he saw her smiling broadly at him from across the room as she stirred the contents of the coffee cup in front of her.

"Welcome back. We haven't been formally introduced. I'm Amanda." She stood up from the table she had been seated at and walked towards the still groggy colonel with one hand outstretched and the other holding her cup.

"Jack O'Neill, with two L's" He responded rather succinctly as he made it to his feet and tentatively shook the strange woman's hand.

"It's a pleasure to meet you, Jack O'Neill with two L's. In case you're wondering Adam decided to head to the supermarket for some food. He should be back in a few." Jack nodded in understanding then curiously looked down at the cup in Amanda's hand. "Ah, care for some coffee? That was the only thing besides beer that Mac left in the house."

"Coffee would be great."

The immortal woman trotted off and returned a moment later another steaming up in her hand and extended it to Jack. He savored the smell for a moment, then took a sip.

"Not bad. I have a friend who is quite the coffee snob and I just bet he'd enjoy this."

Amanda smiled. "Caffeine addicts always buy the best coffee."

"That they do."

The two sat in silence for what seemed like ages as they sipped at their coffee and stared out the nearby window. Finally, once Jack and emptied his cup he turned to the woman next to him.

"So what exactly is going on?" He did little to hide his annoyance when her expression turned to one of confusion as she responded to his query.

"Not sure I follow you, Jack?"

Shaking his head Jack stood up, his icy glare freezing Amanda in her spot. "Bullshit. Why are you here? Who are you really for that matter? And why did you call Adam Methos last night?"

She opened her mouth to speak, but never got a word out as she turned to stare at the doorway a look of concern on her face. The door opened and Adam stepped inside.

"Welcome back, kiddo. You had us worried." The oldest immortal quipped as he approached the kitchen and set the two bags he held in his arms on the counter by the sink.

He noticed the eerie silence in the room and turned to look at Jack and Amanda. "Okay, what did I miss?"

"Someone better tell me what the hell is going on!" Jack shouted as he moved to the opposite side of the room making certain he kept both immortals in a clear line of sight.

"Calm down, Jack." Adam used his most calming tone of voice. "I think we all have a few questions that ought to be answered. How about we sit down nice and calm like and we'll all get the answers we want."

Cautiously, Jack watched as Amanda and Adam moved towards the kitchen table and took their seats. Still unsure the wizard stepped closer until he too took a seat at the table. The three eyed one another for a moment before Jack began to tap on the tabletop with his fingers in irritation.

"Start talking, Adam…or since you didn't answer my question last night, should I call you Methos?"

The immortal shrugged his shoulders a stoic expression on his face. "Adam is fine, though I am curious as to how you could have known that name?"

"I heard Amanda here call you that when she showed up last night."

Methos shook his head. "That's not what I mean. I told you when we met that Adam wasn't my name, but you're acting like this name means something to you. Why?"

"That's a bit complicated to explain."

Less than thrilled with Jack's answer Methos crossed his arms over his chest. "We aren't exactly going anywhere right now are we, Jack? I think we have the time."

Sighing heavily Jack nodded. "I don't know how much Janet told you about me, but the truth is I'm a wizard. I have what some might consider the 'gift'" neither immortal missed the disdain in Jack's voice as he spat that last word out and continued. "of foresight. I have visions of the future among other things. Things come to me in these visions and sometimes in dreams that tell me what's going to happen. I know your name because I dreamt about you, only I didn't know it was you. I only knew your name. You're supposed to be able to take me where I need to be, so I can find what it is I'm looking for."

The two immortals glared at Jack in disbelief for a moment before Methos chose to respond.

"What exactly are you looking for?"

Jack's eyes widened in surprised. "You mean to tell me you believe all I just said?"

"Unless you tell me you're lying, I've no reason to doubt you…even if it does seem a bit farfetched."

The grey-haired wizard shook his head. "I'm not lying, but I'm not willing to tell you what I'm searching for just yet."

Methos nodded as he let his hands come to rest on the tabletop. "Fair enough."

tbc...

Thanks the feedback from the last chapter. As always it is greatly appreciated.


	12. Chapter 11

Chapter 11

Lou Ferretti marched through the halls of the SGC a man with a purpose. Since reading the letter from Jack he'd been hard-pressed to do anything but focus on the task Jack had requested of him. He had pondered on the subject all day, trying to decide it if was the right choice. It was risky for Jack to ask him to bring the others into this, but after some careful thought he knew that if things were indeed as bad as his friend and led him to believe it would take all of their combined powers to stop what was headed their way.

He reached the office at the end of the hall; his name was emblazoned on the frosted glass door with large white letters. After turning the handle he stepped inside, closed the door behind him and made straight for the desk. Turning away from the camera he pulled the wand from his uniform pocket and recited the incantation that would alert the others in the mountain that they needed to meet.

Within fifteen minutes some thirty persons had gathered topside. To the unsuspecting security officers it appeared as nothing more than usual herd of employees heading off to lunch, and they paid no mind to any of them. Piling into their vehicles they all followed Ferretti's lead down the highway, stopping when they reached the nearby rest area. Two witches, who'd arrived just behind Lou, immediately set up wards around the area so that no muggle could see the large gathering and out of curiosity come see what was going on.

Once they'd all gathered around the rest area picnic tables Ferretti began to speak.

"I know it's been a while since we had a big meeting like this, but we have a problem. Cheyenne Mountain is in danger."

There was a cacophony of noise as everyone began to shout out, demanding an explanation from Lou. He calmly raised his hands trying to calm the group. A dark-haired wizard in a Captain's uniform called out for the group to listen to what Ferretti was trying to tell them, and a few moments later the group had quieted.

"Thanks Captain." Lou remarked as he turned back to the group. "As I was trying to tell you…the mountain has a new threat against it, and it's not from offworld as some of you might think. I'm sure you've all heard the rumors that He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named has returned, and I'm here to tell you those rumors are true. He's back and he knows what we're hiding under that mountain."

***

It had been three hours since he'd told the two immortals still upstairs in the apartment the truth about who he was, as he moved his body through the difficult kata he'd learned from Teal'c he did his best to let his mind relax. It seemed to be to no avail though, as he continued to berate himself for giving his secret away so easily. He couldn't shake the feeling that he'd made a serious error in doing so, and because of that his concentration was lost. He moved to make a spin kick at the air, but his knee buckled and he found himself upended, his butt smacking hard on the floor just before his head met the same fate.

The sound of clapping caught his attention and he looked up to see Methos and Amanda staring at him from the dojo entrance. They had obviously used the stairs instead of the elevator he deduced.

"Nice landing, Jack." Amanda quipped as she approached and reached her hand out to help him to his feet.

"Falling on my ass was just what I meant to do."

Methos chuckled softly. "Of course it was."

Jack got to his feet and walked to bench where he'd laid his bottle of water and took a hefty gulp from it.

"Listen, Jack. If you'll allow it I'd like for Amanda to help us." Methos began, but stopped seeing the concern on the wizard's face.

"I realize you don't know me, O'Neill, but I think I may be of use to you." Amanda chimed in. "I've know a few seers in my time and if even half of what you say is true, you're by far the strongest I've encountered."

"No need to butter me up, honey. I figured you'd want to help, but my concern is that I don't want any more people in danger than already are. I won't be responsible for another death. I've already caused too many." Jack hung his head, not wanting to look at the two immortals standing beside him.

"We're immortals, Jack." Methos responded. "We know what it is to be responsible for another's life…and death."

Amanda nodded as Jack looked up at her. "This is my choice. I want to help. It's my life and my risk to take."

"Tell me something, Amanda. Why did you come here last night?" Jack asked before taking another sip of water.

The brunette blushed slightly. "I was hoping to have a little rendezvous with Duncan, if you know what I mean, but I ended up finding you two in the apartment instead."

"Is that all?" The look in the wizard's eyes made Methos raise an eyebrow in curiosity as he waited for Amanda to answer.

"I don't understand. What do you mean?"

Jack smirked as he knowingly glared at the immortal woman.

"I think you know exactly what I mean…now answer my question. If you intend to help us I need you to be honest. This is important. Now, was having a little fling with Duncan the only reason you came here?"

Amanda's expression paled as she shook her head. "How could you possibly know?"

***

Daniel sat quietly in his office studying an artifact brought back by another SG team a few days earlier. The simple piece of pottery had a complex set of symbols inscribed on it, who's meaning had the young archeologist quite stumped as he glanced at the photographs that had been taken of it as he periodically scribbled notes onto a pad of paper beside him.

A heavy sigh caught his attention and he looked up to see the blue of Samantha Carter staring back at him. He smiled before setting down the photographs and waving the blonde soldier inside.

"When did you get back?" He asked.

"A few hours ago. Teal'c is waiting in the mess hall; I figured I'd stop by and see if you cared to join us."

With a silent nod he got to his feet, leaving his work behind and started for the mess hall with Carter beside him. They walked in companionable silence, reaching the mess hall in minutes. Stepping inside the formidable form of Teal'c approached them his nearly overflowing tray in hand.

"It is good to see you, DanielJackson." The jaffa warrior nodded then turned around to sit at the nearest table, while Sam and Daniel excused themselves to get food for themselves.

A few minutes later the trio was seated at the table together. Daniel could feel their eyes on him and knew they had questions for him, questions he wasn't sure how to answer. Finally, taking a chance he looked up from his plate, smiling weakly at his two teammates and friends.

"So what's going on, Daniel?" Carter asked in a hushed voice. "Why didn't the colonel talk to us? Why didn't he have us in his meet with the Hammond?"

He shook his head. "I wish I knew. All I know is what Jack told me and that isn't much, nor is it something we can talk about here."

The other two nodded in understanding. Their meals forgotten the three members of SG-1 stood and moved for the exit. They reached Daniel's office and closed the doors behind them.

"What can you tell us?" Carter asked this time sounding almost desperate.

The archeologist took a deep breath before launching into his explanation. "Jack has a plan. He says it'll take all of us to pull it off. He's taken steps to gather those capable of magic already in the mountain so they can try to set up some sort of protection system to try and keep Voldemort from getting to the gate, but I get the feeling it won't be enough."

"Why is that, DanielJackson?" Teal'c asked the concern clear in his voice.

"It was just something I read in Jack's face when he talked with Hammond. He's scared. I've never seen Jack like that." Daniel brought his hand up to adjust his glasses, sighing as the pushed them up the bridge of his nose.

Sam put her hand on the younger man's shoulder feeling a shudder pass through him as he sighed.

"What can we do to help?"

tbc...


	13. Chapter 12

_Well, I'm finally posting another chapter. I know it's been awhile and I'm truly grateful to those who've kept reading and waiting for more. Sadly, my muses disappeared for a time, but are slowly starting to come back. I've got another chapter just about done, so hopefully it won't take as long between post. Thanks again to all who have sent feedback. I truly appreciate it. Hope ya'll enjoy this next installment_.

* * *

Chapter 12

Amanda glared at Jack waiting for an answer to her question as the wizard smirked at her from his seat on the nearby bench.

"Lately the visions are stronger and more frequent. When you touched me last night to help me to the couch I saw it…the reason you really came here, that is." Jack sighed heavily bringing his hands up to rub circles on his temples for a moment before he spoke again. "Where is it?"

A loud cough from Methos caught their attention and they turned to the dark-haired immortal. "Excuse me but would one of you care to clue me in or is this a secret I'll not be privy to?"

"I found the Methuselah stone." Amanda stated a hint of apprehension in her voice.

Methos groaned. "You fished it out of the river?"

"I had to, Methos. I had to make sure it wouldn't end up in the hands of someone like Luther again. I owed it to Rebecca." A tear rolled down her cheek and the oldest immortal lowered his head knowing that she was right.

"Where is it?" He asked.

Amanda looked up a smirk on her face. "It's safe."

"What does that mean?" Jack and Methos asked in unison.

"I put it where no one will find it for now. I was hoping Duncan would be here and could help me find a permanent place for it."

Methos groaned again. "Of course. The eternal Boy Scout would know what to do with something so powerful."

Jack raised as eyebrow at the sarcasm in the immortal's voice. "Who is this Duncan MacLeod? Why would you bring something like that to him?"

The female immortal shrugged her shoulders. "You have to know Duncan. He's the most honest man I know. He's the only one I'd trust with something like the stone, the only one I'd trust not try and take it for themselves."

"Sounds too good to be true." The wizard shook his head in disbelief.

Before Amanda could respond Methos spoke first. "Well, you'll get to meet him quite soon."

"Why is that?" Jack asked.

Methos brought his hand to his forehead, frustration clearly written on his face. "Because we're going to Paris to find him, so Amanda can get rid of that bloody stone."

* * *

Severus Snape took each step back towards the room where the Order was meeting with deliberate slowness as he garnered the courage to say what he knew must be said. When he reached the door he took a single breath before turning the handle and pushing himself forward and into the room.

The group turned in his direction hearing his entrance. His expression was fixed as he stepped to the center of the room, stopping in front of Dumbledore. A puzzled expression came over the older wizard's face as he cocked his head to the left looking up at the Potion's Master in curiosity.

"What is it, Severus?" He asked a hint of apprehension in his voice as he spoke.

"I won't let you put that child through any more than he's already been through because of us. Albus, sending the boy into hiding will only do him more harm than good. He has the right to be part of this decision." Snape crossed his arms over his chest waiting for the Headmaster's response.

"We must keep him safe."

"He'll be just as safe at Hogwart's. There's no other family save myself and Jack that could offer the same protection that Petunia could. At least at the school he'll have all of us nearby to watch over him. There's no place safer than with us."

Sirius jumped from his seat in protest. "I can care for the boy. He's my godson, Severus. I won't leave him in danger."

Snape shook his head. "I know you mean well, but you're in a virtual prison here in this drafty old house. That's no life for Harry. He's already been through enough being kept with the Dursleys. Being forced to hide here would be tantamount to the same torture. Let him be with his friends and have at least some sense of normality."

Growling in frustration Sirius turned away. "That's not the plan."

Severus turned to the rest of the group. "Tell me I'm wrong. We've all contributed to the hell that boy has had to endure. We owe it to him to allow him as much of a normal life as he can possibly have. Honestly, no matter where we hide him the Dark Lord will try and find him. At least if he is at Hogwart's we'll have the advantage in trying to keep him safe."

Minerva and Remus both nodded in silent agreement but neither chanced speaking up. It was Mad Eye Moody who chose to respond.

"Can't believe I'm saying this, but I agree with Snape. The Order has the advantage if Voldemort tries to get at Harry if he's at the school. Anywhere else we wouldn't. Tactically speaking it makes more sense than moving him and Sirius elsewhere to hide them both and keep Harry safe. And if you're right Albus, and Voldemort is connecting to Harry's mind, there's no one better to teach Harry to protect himself from the mind invasion than Severus."

"Excuse me?" Snape shouted in confusion not expecting to be volunteered in such a manner.

"Moody's right." Remus cut in. "None of us is thinking on how much it would hurt Harry to be away from the family and friends he's made these past few years. I vote we keep him at Hogwart's. He'll be as safe there as anywhere."

Albus sighed heavily as he stood up. He looked around the room to see everyone nodding in agreement to change the plan and let out a deep breath.

"Very well. Harry goes back to Hogwarts, but before he does we'll need to strengthen the wards around the school. Once that's finished Sirius and Harry can both come to Hogwarts."

* * *

A knock at the door got his attention and the weary archeologist went to answer it. He was none too surprised that Carter was the first to arrive. It was clear after their earlier conversation that she had more to say; though he really wasn't sure he wanted to hear it. She smiled softly as he led her inside of the apartment.

"I know I'm a little early, Daniel. I just needed to ask you something before the others arrived." He held back the sigh that threatened to escape him as he waited for her to continue. "I guess I'm just having hard time with all this. Jack didn't even want Teal'c and me in the meeting with Hammond…why would he keep us out of the loop like that?"

The younger man shook his head. "That wasn't it, Sam. If it were he'd have told Severus to keep his being at the mountain a secret from you as well. I think he just wanted to draw as little suspicion from anyone as possible. He said he couldn't be sure that Voldemort didn't have someone working in the mountain."

She shrugged her shoulders. "Still, it feels like he doesn't want us to be a part of all this…like he doesn't want our help."

"That's not true." Daniel reached out and put a hand on her shoulder. "He's afraid he won't be able to protect us all. We've already had one encounter with this Voldemort guy and personally I'd rather face down a system lord than go through that again. Jack's main concern is keeping us all safe, and the less we're involved the safer we are."

Again the Major nodded. She was about to speak up when there was another knock at the door.

"That'll be Lou and Teal'c." Daniel said as he turned to let his guests inside. As expected both men were standing on the opposite side of the door when the archeologist pulled it open.

They greeted one another briefly then moved into the living room where Carter was already seated on the couch. Daniel played host for a few minutes, taking jackets and then making sure everyone had a drink before joining them in the living room. Teal'c was seated on the couch next to Carter, while Ferretti took a spot on the love seat adjacent the couch. When Daniel stepped in the room he made straight for the recliner, settling in as they began their discussion.

"So what did your people say?" He asked to Lou as the officer absently scratched at his chin.

"It took some convincing but I've got them on-board and they're gathering what they need to put new wards around the mountain. Most had heard about the incident at Hogwarts and none were too keen on believing that monster was back, but they don't want to risk him getting a hold of the stargate either."

Teal'c cocked his head in Ferretti's direction. "What do you mean new wards? We had protections already in place?"

Lou nodded. "Simple ones that would keep the average witch or wizard out of the area, but the Deatheaters are another matter entirely."

Together the four of them began to strategize on how they could keep the mountain safe from any incursion by Voldemort and his followers. By the time they chose to stop night was waning and they made plans to meet again the following day.

tbc...


	14. Chapter 13

The sun was rising in the sky as Jack gathered himself. He could see Methos putting his few things together and listened intently as the immortal made a phone call to the illustrious MacLeod informing the other man of their intent to meet with him. By the sounds of the conversation, the other immortal was less than pleased and that made Jack all the more curious about this stranger they were about to cross paths with.

Across the room Jack heard Amanda on the phone attempting to make a phone call of her own but seeming completely frustrated by it. Both hung up at the same time and turned to one another.

"Well MacLeod will be waiting for us at the barge. I told him we should be there tomorrow sometime."

Amanda shook her head. "Scratch that. Couldn't get us a flight until tomorrow morning; which will put us getting there the day after."

"Don't tell me every flight to Paris was booked?"

She sighed. "Booked solid."

Methos growled in frustration and Jack couldn't help but chuckle at the two immortals. They both turned icy glares in his direction hearing the soft laughter coming from the couch where the wizard was seated.

"What's so funny, Jack?" The oldest immortal asked.

"Well, if you had asked me I'd have told you I could get us there much faster." Both immortals stared confused as Jack stood up and moved towards them. "If you recall, I told you I could do magic. That's all it'll take."

There was silence throughout the room for a moment before Amanda finally decided to ask the question on both her and Methos' mind. "How so?"

"It's called apparating. I can transport myself and one person to almost anywhere I can think of in a few seconds, relatively speaking."

"Bullshit!" Amanda stated matter of factly as she crossed her arms over her chest.

Smirking Jack reached over, pulling the petite woman into his arms and apparating away with her. The last thing he heard was Methos shout as the immortal's slim figure disappeared from his view and was replaced by the right wall of the dojo.

Amanda screamed for a moment realizing she'd been transported downstairs. A second later she found herself back upstairs staring at an equally shocked Methos and Jack with a smug grin on his face.

"That's got to save you a bundle on airfare." Methos stated as he began to shake his head.

Jack nodded. "You could say that."

Once she'd collected herself Amanda spoke. "You said you can transport one person with you…where does that leave whichever of us that doesn't go with?"

Shrugging his shoulders Jack turned to her. "I'll just have to take you one at a time."

Seemingly satisfied with his answer the two immortals readied themselves to leave. Methos chose to go second and watched Amanda and Jack apparate away before quickly going and making sure all the doors in the dojo and apartment were locked.

Amanda opened her eyes to find she was standing in an empty field with Jack's arms wrapped tightly around her waist. His breathing was heavy on her neck as she continued to rest her body against his.

"Are we there?" She asked tentatively.

"No. We're about halfway though." The words left his lips as almost a whisper. "It takes a lot to apparate long distances, especially with a tagalong. Gimme a sec and we'll be there."

He took a deep breath then apparated again, this time they ended up in another field, only this time Amanda recognized the outline of the city just in the distance. She pulled herself from his arms and he took another breath before leaving her alone with only the echo left by the popping sound of apparation in his wake. Ten minutes later he returned with Methos clutching his waist an uneasy expression on the immortal's face.

As he let Methos go his body sank to the ground and he landed on his knees gasping for breath.

"Jack!" Both called out as they knelt down beside him.

"Just a little tired. I'll be fine." Pain exploded in his head and he doubled over grabbing his temples as the pounding in his skull increased.

Images flitted through his mind like a movie running in fast forward as he struggled desperately to make sense of what he was seeing. Finally, a single figure became clear in his mind as his breathing began to even out.

Amanda and Methos watched in confusion and near panic as the wizard began to mumble to himself. It took a moment before Methos leaned in to hear him better, and when he did Jack's head snapped up. He fell backwards not sure what was going on as he saw the wizard's eyes roll back in his head while he continued to speak in a hollowed out voice unlike he'd ever heard before.

"The dead will rise as the stone joins the star. Only one can control the power and lead the chosen one to his destiny."

Jack repeated the phrase once more before his eyes snapped shut and he fell to the side barely conscious. Methos bit back a curse as he cradled the gray-haired wizard's head in his hands. Amanda was by their sides, reaching haphazardly into her bag for the bottle of water she had brought with her. Gently she opened it and put it to Jack's lips and he slowly began to drink.

A few minutes later Jack's pulse had returned to normal, the pain in his head dissipated to almost nothing and he had managed to move to a sitting position with both immortals at his side. Groggily he tried to piece together what had happened but only a single image remained in his mind. He looked at Amanda and Methos, his expression asking the question he couldn't seem to formulate with words.

"You gave us one helluva scare, Jack." Methos commented he reached over checking Jack's pulse once more.

"One minute you're standing there just fine and the next you're dropping to the ground like a stone clutching your head and mumbling." Amanda added.

"What did I say?" Jack asked once he was able to find his voice.

Amanda wrinkled her brow trying to recall exactly what had been said. "Something about the dead, a stone, a star and someone finding their destiny."

Methos shook his head and repeated the phrase Jack had said earlier, the wizard listening intently as he tried desperately to figure out the meaning of the prophecy he'd just made.

* * *

Harry sat on the edge of the bed staring out the window onto the darkened street below and wondered when exactly his life had morphed into something he was no longer able to control. It was then that the thought occurred to him that someone else had always been in control of his life and that simple realization made him want to vomit.

'None of this is fair.' He thought to himself. 'This is My life!'

He let his thoughts ramble on in his mind cursing his situation and the fact that he knew no way for him to be free of it all. Finally, another knock at his door roused him and he called out for whomever it was to enter the room.

"Can I have a minute, Harry?" His godfather's voice was soft and reassuring as he stepped inside the bedroom leaving the door slightly ajar.

"Let me guess. I'll be leaving soon for whatever safehouse the Order deems fit for me."

Sirius couldn't miss the disdain in the young wizard's voice and he approached him, gently taking a seat on the edge of bed.

"Actually, Severus convinced us to do as you wished and you'll be going to Hogwarts with Hermione, Ron and myself. You'll have to stay there the rest of the summer and possibly through the holiday break, but…"

The older wizard stopped mid-sentence seeing the tearful expression on his godson's face. He pulled the boy into his arms as the young man wept.

"I'm so sorry, Harry. I truly wish none of this had ever happened to you. You should be having a normal life, living with James and Lily, making plans for when you graduate from Hogwarts, not fighting for your life and hiding from a madman."

He soothingly stroked his fingers through Harry's dark locks and the boy clutched tightly to his torso. The sound of footsteps approaching the bedroom drew both of their attention and they looked up in time to see Snape ease the door open.

"Sorry to interrupt but Albus would like to speak to Harry before he leaves."

Harry pulled away from Sirius and stood up from the bed. He approached the Potion's Master tentatively, then reached out his hand towards the taller wizard, who stared at it in confusion for a moment before taking hold of it and shaking firmly.

"Thank you."

Severus was stunned at the words leaving his nephew's mouth, but nodded back appreciatively. "Regardless of how I sometimes come off, Harry. You're about the only family I have besides Jack and that means a great deal to me. Don't ever doubt that."

Smiling Harry pulled Severus in for a hug that seemed to last an eternity and melted the stoic wizard's heart completely as he wrapped his own arms around the boy, embracing him earnestly. When they pulled apart no words were spoken, but they seemed to reach an understanding as they gazed into each other's eyes, and as that understanding was reached Harry nodded and moved to go down the steps to speak to the Headmaster.

tbc...


End file.
